The Vultures - Three Mothers Part 1 Album Review

Review of Three Mothers Part 1 Album by The Vultures

The London based sextet with members from five different countries launched their debut eight track album 'Three Mothers Part 1' on Monday (February 9th 2015). Influenced by artists such as Bjork and Pixies, The Vultures are a fine example of a band trying to push the limit as far as it can possibly go.

The album is The Vultures' way of setting the bar and challenging what they call 'boring' and 'dull' rock music. The band breezes past precincts with their mix of three way vocals, strings, bass and percussion, and blends all of the instruments to contrast the melancholy lyrics.

The majestic and enchanting melodies that can be found throughout the album depicts a band that challenges themselves and can be described as nothing else but eclectic - both musically and structurally.

Opening with the song 'Vlad' and closing with 'Putin's Army', there seems to be a Russian theme. The strings set 'Vlad' apart from the rest of the album and they bring the track to life. The song marks a thunderous introduction and, with lines like 'What's the point of dying if you have no soul?', has a lyrical darkness contrasted with uplifting music, which thematically sets up the rest of the album.

'Ants' is another example of the lyrics contrasting with the light hearted music surrounding it with a chorus like 'There's a tiny little part of me that wants to save your world and another little part of that wants to see you burn'.

'Tyrants to the Irish' and 'Magic Air' are examples where the strings really take hold and sculpt the songs. The mesmerising combination of the violin, viola and cello along with the complementary vocals of the three parts build up an atmosphere that leaves us addicted and wanting more than just the eight tracks.

The final track, 'Stalin's Army', rounds off the musical adventure of 'Three Mothers Part 1', but unfortunately, the end to the album was not as powerful as the start.

The album itself is short, just eight tracks, and although this leaves us on the edge of our seats, it feels somewhat incomplete. At times, it is hard to differentiate between the tracks as it seems repetitive with all of the songs having very simple riffs. It is clear that the strings outshine the percussion and the bass and sometimes drown out the vocals.

The layers of sound that 'Three Mothers Part 1' build through each carefully sculpted song leaves you open-mouthed, as The Vultures continue to push the boundaries of innovation. The band fight out of all genres and are starting to create one of their own as we all struggle to pinpoint exactly what style they are.

The alternative songs of 'Three Mothers Part 1' are enough to contaminate any listener's mind and make them want to hear it over and over. We hope that a second album from the Vultures would be more complete and polished, but their debut was not far off being one of the best the alternative scene has produced this year so far.